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Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku 4-10

No, this is not an April Fools' joke. This is a legit 100%-true-to-the-source translation. I'm not talented enough to write fanfic. :/

4-10. The Night Before Departure

 

Satou's here. I like both lawful shops and shops in gray-zone.
But I'll pass on compensated dating, Satou's.





I take Arisa to the wagon. On the way there, I meet Martha-chan in the tavern, but she doesn't look particularly shy and offers me a meal.
Since I intend to eat outside with Liza and the girls, I decline.

When we got to courtyard where the wagon is, the 4 girls are waiting while looking bored.
When Liza notices me coming, she comes as the representative.

"Master, is it fine to put the luggage on board?"
"Let's see... Tomorrow, since we'll be picking more luggage from the merchant guild, let's do that tomorrow, but if we leave them here we'll be troubling the landlady huh."

Arisa whispers to me when I'm still thinking about it.

"Let's keep them in my Item Box? Don't you think that it's safer there?"
"There are only people we know now, so it's fine I guess."

I instruct the girls to pile the luggage inside the wagon for now.
The three small girls get up to the wagon to receive the luggage. Since Pochi and Tama have  strength stat on par with two large adults, they handle the heavy preserved foods lightly. It looks as if this is some kind of magic show.

Arisa and Lulu are sorting the goods inside.
Needless to say, I and Liza are in charge of uploading the luggage. Since it's wasteful to wear expensive clothes for heavy duty job, I change into ordinary clothes. It's a simple linen tunic.

When we've finished loading the luggage, I made the girls beside Arisa to fetch water for 3 small barrels. One small barrel can hold 6 liter of water.

"You don't really need to exclude Lulu. I've talked about my Item Box with Lulu, you know?"

I'm afraid that someone would pick a fight with the beastkin girls if it's just them, so I ask Lulu to go with them.

"For now, let's split the preserved foods in half for each to keep, I'll carry the magic tools. Probably no one would steal the learning cards so put it on the wagon, and let's leave the foods that were entrusted to Liza and the girls alone."

"Kaay~", Arisa lightly said while storing the preserved foods into her Item Box. I also store the same amount.

The preserved foods are jerkies, baked black breads, fried beans and dried sweet potatoes.
Others that are in the bag are wheat flours, root crops, rock salts, and various other groceries. Since leaves vegetables are likely to give stomachache, it seems that they didn't buy it.

I've only noticed after doing this but...

"I'd love baskets or boxes to sort things out."
"Yeah true, I also want some cushioning materials. If we leave this alone, the cookwares will be noisy when the wagon shakes."
"I want thin ropes too."
"Ropes? Ah, for airing clothes huh."

"I think that having sturdy ropes is good."

Liza who just came back from getting water suggested.
I can't imagine what it would be used for.

"It's for draining blood from preys during the journey."

Right, we need ropes to tie thieves who may appear.

"You're such a philanthropist~ Thieves are thoroughly good-for-nothings and only bring harms, it's better to snatch away treasures from their hideout and annihilate them afterward. Even that famous thief-hunter girl said so you know~?"

What kind of acquaintance is she?
So there's a person who's famous for that, what a dangerous world.

"Are we not short on anything else?"

Pochi raises her hand while standing on her tiptoes. Did Arisa taught her that?

"Yes, Pochi-kun. Say it."
"A stool! I want one no desu~"

When I ask in detail, she seems to have used a stool when she helped taking care of the horse. She's brimming with enthusiasm to take care of the horses during the journey too. She's really reliable.

Tama also raises her hand in the same manner and says, "Brush~?". She tilts her body in troubling manner while raising her hand, cute.  It seems that she wants a tool to brush the horse and clean their hoofs.
Tools for taking care of the horses, I completely forget about them.

Lulu also timidly raises her hand.

"....U, umm.", Her face turn bright red just by saying that.
I wonder if it's something that embarrassing? I glance at Arisa... She winks back. Are you from Showa era!

"I, I want a washboard and a bucket."

Is that really embarrassing? I have them in the storage so I've forgotten about it, but it's certainly necessary.

"If it's really possible, I want a mirror! I'm fine with hand-mirror size."
"Arisa, you're too extravagant."

Liza firmly gives a warning to Arisa. It's unusual for Liza to give an opinion before I decide.
I wonder if it's expensive in this world? That reminds me, I don't think I've seen any glassware. But, I'm sure there were mirrors from polished metals.

"I'd like to use one too, let's buy it if it's not too expensive."
"Yay."

Arisa looks unusually happy without acting. Lulu is also smiling. Liza doesn't have any objection since it's my decision. Pochi and Tama... don't seem like they understand.

It's decided that, tomorrow when I'm going to take the commodities from the guild, the five will buy the things we've just discussed.

After changing clothes, we go out to eat together.
That day, we eat dinner at stalls not far away from the gate inn. Since we've been eating meats everyday, I order light soups, and soy bean breads.
Since Pochi and Tama look so sad while we're eating, I order meat skewers for four portions. It's Liza who looks the happiest somehow... but it's okay as long as they're happy.





Since I meet Yosagu-san who just come back from work on the way to the inn, we decide to advance the plan to go out during the night a day forward.
Arisa is saying, "Even though you have me, you adulterer~", but I make Liza to carry her like a luggage back to the inn.

"Is that okay?"
"It's fine, she's just something like a little sister. The person herself thinks that she's a guardian though."

The east district is crowded just like yesterday.
Yosagu-san, who's chewing a bought skewer from stalls, is greeting girls who are gathering under the outside light, while we press forward to the crowds.

When I ask if they're his acquaintances, he says, "They're courtesans." They usually work as waitress and courtesan in the inn at the same time, but during the slave auction they seem to look for customers outside.

Confirming from AR, a lot of them have [Sex Technique] skills. ...However, I'm anxious to see that a lot of them have various venereal diseases on the abnormal condition tab. Mostly are in [Incubation], but nearly 60% of them are suffering from it.
I wonder if it can't be healed with magic?

We enter red light district and walk for a while. Metal plates of magical light are hung on the shops, illuminating them with cheap-looking light.
Most brothels are two story buildings with verandas on the second floor. Courtesans who wear expensive clothes with high exposures are lining up on the verandas trying to lure guests.

When I look, they raise their skirts and show their bare legs then throw kisses. It's a feature every shop has, interesting.
The people who have [Sex Technique] increase, and proportionally the people who have Venereal Disease[Incubation] decrease for about 30%. As expected there is no one who has Venereal Disease [Diseased].

"Young master, here's the shop. Let's enter quickly."

Yosagu-san pulls me to the shop. This shop seems to be refined, there is no girls attracting guests on the veranda.

When I enter, verandas are installed on the second floor high along the corridor. I lightly wave at the girl who I saw from outside there.

The floor is made from bare wood, but it's well polished. Is it about 30 tatami wide? There are a stove, doors and a stair to the second floor inside. There are 4 rooms shielded with cloths on the left and right.

"Welcome to the Seryuu Branch of Captivating Mansion."

A woman in later half of her 40 come out from the back door while greeting us with penetrating voice. The woman is wearing a pink dress with excessive frills, but her fat is too self-asserting, her clothes looks like it'll burst apart at the seams.

Guided by the woman, we go to one of the partitioned room.
It seems that this is a room for guests to wait for the girls, since it'd be awkward to meet acquaintances in a brothel. The obese shopkeeper sure knows her stuff.

There are a sofa and three low quality marble tables inside the room. A girl of around 10 years old is standing by as a parlor maid.

"Excuse me.", the girl puts small green sake cup in front of me and Yosagu-san. Transparent liquids are inside of them. It's a distilled liquor from the smell.

According to the AR, the cups are made from jade. The liquor inside the cup is Shiga sake. It's a strong liquor with 50% alcohol content made from wheat.

"Ku~ delicious!", Yosagu-san gulp the liquor in high spirit.
It seems that he forgot to drink this sake when he went to this shop before.

The girl, is pouring the sake huh?
I sip it once as a social act. It certainly tastes good. It's like whiskey but transparent instead of amber-colored, I wonder if the processing is different?

Before Yosagu-san had his third cup, the shopkeeper comes back with 5 girls.

The first is the most beautiful girl with blond hair and blue eyes. With a small face, thin eyebrows, and strong-willed looking big pupils. Sticky-looking lips. Two large breasts that look like they would spill from the open chest clothes. Most likely, she's the most popular girl in this shop. She's 18 years old.

The second and the third are twins. They're beautiful girls with black hairs and black eyes. Their most notable looks are their western, or rather, French style. One of them has smaller breast than the other, but it's still around C cup. It seems that there a lot of people who spend the night with the two of them together. Of course, the fee will be for two people. They're 16 years old.

The fourth is a woman with droopy eyes. With dull blond hair and reddish brown pupils. Her eyebrows are thick, she's a gentle healing woman. Her breast is the biggest. It seems that there are a lot of repeaters for her. Her voice sounds mellow, it's comforting to hear. She's 21 years old, the oldest in this shop.

The fifth is a girl with red hair and reddish brown pupils. She's pales in comparison with the other girls but she has the nicest expression.  She feels lively or rather, fascinatingly wholesomely erotic. Her breast size is average, but still around D cup. For me it's quite enough to be categorized as big breasts. 20 years old. She's the only person in this shop who doesn't has sex techniqu skill.

Every girls are wearing thin one-piece sticking to their skins looking erotic. The chest and abdomen area are transparent, I cannot help but utter GJ.

"Which girl will you choose?", the shopkeeper asked. Yosagu-san asked with his eyes, "Please don't hesitate to choose your favorite girl.", I said and he really did choose the most beautiful girl without hesitation.
I also aim her, but I'll yield here.
Yosagu-san drinks down the liquor left in the cup in one gulp, and leave the room with that girl. It seems that the second floor is for the guests to enjoy themselves.

I was at loss for a bit, but I chose the fifth girl in the end.
The guest room only has a simple bed, but it's clean and smells good so I have no complaint.

When we entered the room, the girl hurriedly took off her clothes and flaunted her body. I enjoy the feel of OPPAI liberated from the clothes, enjoying scooping them with my hands.
It's exactly the festival of OPPAI. Who was it who says that OPPAI contains man's dream?

I hug her waist and we fall down to the bed. It's a mature woman's body after a long time, so I'm taking my time to carefully enjoy it ...in various ways.

Though since the girl's reaction was good, I unintentionally gave too much service. Like this, I'm not sure who desire whom.
We enjoy ourselves until midnight. She faints from too much pleasure in the middle, so I stop.

>[Sex Technique Skill Acquired]
>[Lover's Talk Skill Acquired]
>[Seduction Skill Acquired]

Apparently this body has too much stamina, the partner couldn't catch up. I use her breasts that I've enjoyed plentifully as pillows and depart to the world of dream.









Previous Chapter

Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku 4-9

4-9. Things That Could be Done Alone

 

Satou's here. The chemistry experiment during the days of junior school was such a fantastic time, wasn't it?

I also remember that there are differences between the thing I've learned in school and the actual practice.





It's aggravating to be filled with bad imaginations with no way to prove it. Even if it's the truth, the heroes should win against the demon lord like how it usually goes. If they lose, then I'll take responsibility of defeating the demon lord in place of the dragons.

I take a deep breath several times and I'm becoming calm.
Having high MND (Mental Strength) surprisingly has its merit.





I come back to my room. Returning to the main subject.
I want to do further verification and alchemy. Since the chanting practice need to be done steadily, I have no choice but to do it on the way to the labyrinth city.

First, let's verify the storage.

I take out the meal.
It's still warm.
I lightly bite it. The taste is still the same.

I put back the remaining meal to the storage.
It's a bit late, but the item name is [Seryuu Grill]. It needs a bit more ingenuity.

I add a new memo called Storage Verification. I write the date and the state on the memo.

For now, It can keep something warm, maybe it even has function to freeze state of things. I write such on the memo. I don't think that it could delay or stop time, that's way too improbable.

This time I take out the Seryuu Grill that I've put in Item Box. This one is already cold. The taste is like a cold grill. It's not rotten. Since it's only been half a day, it's natural.

Let's write that the item box doesn't retain warmth.

Next, I'm testing whether it's possible to move item between the storage and the item box.

I mark a copper coin with ink.

I try putting it inside the item box but it can't go in.
It seems that with skill level 1, it can't enter. I raise the skill level to 2 and inside it goes. I try putting various accessories, and it seems that it can only hold 4 pieces of 4 types of items. Is it the skill level squared? Let's write this on the memo.

When I open storage window in the menu, an item box tab has appeared.
I drag the item to the storage.

When I open the item box and look inside it, the transfer is successful.
I try doing the same thing in reverse, the item can be moved without problem.

Accessing the Item Box from the Storage consume no MP.

I put this information as a postscript on the storage verification memo.
Let's think how to use this next time.

Next, I'm trying if I can search the content of books inside the storage. It should be convenient to check it secretly in situation like the trouble with the dragon white stone today.
I was able to search in explanation in the game. Therefore I want to check if I could search for contents ...There were no books in the game though.

I tap the [Royal City Tour] book inside the storage and choose search on the popped-up menu.
I search for [Castle], then the explanations about castle are shown on the search hit. It seems that it can search with no problem.
The search results are displayed.
Ah, I've always wanted this function in real life~ I wouldn't have needed to scan books or OCR! Fantasy is awesome!

I suddenly come up with something and immediately try it.
If I could see the search result then couldn't I able to read the content of the book?
Since there is no browse option on the pop-up menu, I search for blank and it goes well.
I could read the entirety like it's on PC with scroll. It feels like a PDF file. Since I could search for words with this, this is more convenient for reading books.

Next I try moving the book to the Item Box.

Unfortunately, this one can't do searching.
I wonder what's the difference?





I take out the alchemy set and put it on top of the table on the corner o the room. The book remain in the storage. If it's like this, even in the dark, I could read the book like the menu.

I'm reading [Introductory to Alchemy]. It's the book that the grandfather gnome firmly told me to read first. Rather than a book, shouldn't this be called a pamphlet? It's a think book with about 20 pages.

The book starts with explanations of the tools. Moreover, it features illustrations so beginners won't get the tools wrong. It's the book that the grandfather emphasized me to read first.

First, I take out the mortar and the pestle. The mortar is not the commonly known white porcelain but something pinkish in color. According to appraisal, it's made from agate. Isn't agate a jewel?

Following the book, I grind a reagent with 1 dried medicinal plant together, and then I put the crushed medicinal plant to a small bowl filled with water with a thin metal rod.
The compounding is complete 5 minutes from the start. Since it's the first thing to do for beginners, it's very easy.

>[Compounding Skill Acquired]

I immediately allocate skill point to the maximum and activate it.
The finished aqueous solution is [Antipyretic Medicine]. Judging from Appraisal, [Antipyretic Medicine -3] is under the name, while the detail says [Liquid medicine for lowering fever. The effect is extremely low, it's just a mere consolation]. This is my first time doing compounding, it can't be helped that it's low quality.





"Those who have magic power go to chapter 2, those who don't go to chapter 4" is written in the next page of the introductory book.
It feels like a manual for business software, or rather, a game book from years ago.

Chapter 2 is about basic refining. Seems that I have to make actual potions. According to the book, drugs made by compounding and potions made by refining have different effects even though they're similar. Production of potions need magic catalyst and MP,  in exchange the effect will be displayed in real time.

I continue  to practice the refining according to the book. I put the potion I made earlier inside a metal beaker. Then I mix it with two reagents there.
Seems that I have to pour magic power before the reagents are dissolved. I tuck the beaker between my hands and imagine magic flowing from my right hand to the left.
It was like this with the spinning top, you pour magic by circulating from your right hand to left, I wonder if this is some kind of rule? Or is it just a simple custom?

The two reagents begin to shine faintly when I pour magic power. Since the room is dim, it glitters nicely. Seems that it's complete after it stops glittering.

>[Refining Skill Acquired]

It's not an alchemy skill huh. I also get refining skill to the max.
The completed Potion is an Antipyretic Potion -4. Since it's wasteful to discard it, I put it inside the bisque pot and put it inside the Storage.





I open the menu to save the compounding recipes in the memo. The menu has a new tab, Production. I open the tab, and [Compound: Antipyretic Medicine], and [Refine: Antipyretic Potion] from the earlier are there. Not just them, there are also [Woodcraft: Club (Improvised)], [Composite: Insect Leg Spear (Improvised)], and [Composite: Insect Leg Spear (Improved)].

I'm sure that it wasn't there before, I wonder if I need to know 5 recipes as the prerequisite? Or maybe it need recipe beside improvised one. But since it's a unique skill, it's useless to try to verify it, so I stop.

I try tapping on the [Compound: Antipyretic Medicine]. There are 4 sub-menus, they're Compound, Inspect Recipe, Delete Recipe, and Detail. Compound seems to be disabled, it's grayed out. I though that maybe I could do compounding inside the Storage, but unfortunately it doesn't seem to be so. Even after I store the tools and reagents into the Storage, it's still disabled. There might be some conditions.

Then I continue the training to the end of the 6 chapters in the introductory book. Because there is one recipe in each chapter, I got to remember, [Compound: Painkiller], [Compound: Ointment], [Refine: Lower Recovery Medicine], and [Refine: Painkilling Magic Medicine (Potion)], those four.

Probably because I've maxed out the skills to maximum, all the medicines after chapter 3 are attached with [+5]. [The effect is extremely high, it's the highest quality] is written. I'm thinking of verifying the difference in effect next time.





I'm about to start practicing the fifth chapter of the introductory book but...
<TLN: Yes, apparently this is happening before the last two paragraphs before the last ◇>

There are signs of someones' holding their breath on the other side of the door. The two luminous point shown on the radar haven't moved from awhile ago.
I stealthily approach the door, and open it at once.

Arisa and Martha-chan come rolling in as if being pulled by the door.

"What are you girls doing?"

I listen to the two while looking from above. My voice has become a bit flat.

"Na, nay.", Arisa is speaking in Kansai dialogue for some reason.
<TLN: Imagine "Ch, Chau nen." in Kana Ueda's (Rin Tohsaka) voice>
"I, I was just curious since I saw Arisa clinging to the door.", Martha-chan.
Yet you've also been clinging for more than 5 minutes, aren't you?

The two shaking girls are about to step away. They suddenly turn around and about to dash away to the corridor.
I quickly grab the nape of the two and restrict them.

"Wonder what were you really doing?", I cross-examine again.

"I'm sorry, I was tempted to see Satou-san embarrassing moment so I peeked."

Martha-chan gallantly apologizes.

"Uu~ because. A boy who's living together with girls! Went back to his room alone?! Don't you think that it's the job of the guardian to see what kind of foolery would unfold?"

Who's the guardian.
Furthermore, foolery... I don't have the mindset of a middle-schooler.

I release the gallant Martha-chan. Arisa isn't properly reflecting, or rather, her lust can plainly be seen so I punish her by poking her forhead 3 times in a row.
Seems that it still hurts even though I held back, she's holding on her forehead while rolling around on the floor. This might be a good medicine once in a while.






Previous Chapter

Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku 4-8

4-8. Demon Lord Season

 

Satou's here. I love cherry blossom season.

The dancing falling petals, and the cheerful people welcoming new life.

I like how there are many fireworks too~





"Demon lord you say, the kind that wants to rule the world?"
"Yes the one who wants to destroy the world."

"Where is it coming from?"
"I don't know, maybe hell?"

Hell huh~.

"Don't look at me with those eyes~ From what was written in the book, it's said that they're invaders from foreign world."
"Is foreign world different from another world?"
"I'm not a scholar so I don't know."

That's right huh, let's ask a scholar next time.

"Is that 66 years cycle thing true?"
"Yep, there are records where the demon lord appear a bit sooner or later, but they generally seem to appear in 66 years."
"So, it has almost been 66 years now?"
"It was 62 years ago since the last demon lord, but seems that it has been stealthily gaining power while in hiding.  Since the demon lord before the last appeared 132 years ago, it wouldn't be strange if the current demon lord appears any day now."

Arisa frowns forming duck mouth. The beautiful little girl look is ruined.

"I see, any sign for its coming?"
"If the world is in crisis, the god will tell it to the oracle~."

As expected of fantasy.

"However if we wait for the oracle then there wouldn't be enough time to raise the hero, so around 3-5 years before the 66 years cycle, they summon the hero."

With that kind of period, it's no wonder that countries will have a lot of time in their hand to prepare.

"Do we know the location where the demon lord will spawn?"
"It seems that they mostly appear in labyrinths or the outskirts around it"

Labyrinth again...

"According to the book I read, it may be because it's easy for the demon lord to raise armies there since there are earth veins deep inside labyrinth."
"Couldn't it just attack head-on without raising armies?"
"Who knows? Maybe the cost to cross between worlds is great. This is based only from circumstantial evidence, but it seems that only high level demons and the demon lord are able to cross worlds."

So the weak can't cross between worlds?
Or rather, if they could appear in the vicinity of labyrinth then.

"Then, this Seryuu city is in danger too..."
"Absolutely not."

Arisa nods with serious look.

"You're very sure."
"Because, this place is close to the Dragon Valley right? If they appear in a place like this, they will be exterminated by hordes of dragons. The legend even says that there's a Dragon God there."

"Are dragons and the demon lord in bad term?"
"They're natural enemies. Normal dragons wouldn't be a match for the demon lord but if it's from sub-divine class like heavenly dragon, then the dragon is stronger for sure."

Dragons are amazing.
The threat of demon lord should be resolved if we just put one heavenly dragon near the labyrinth but...

"If the dragons are that strong then why would they even bother summoning a hero from another world?"
"That's because~ The battle between dragons(.) and the demon lord(.) is too incredible. From songs sang by minstrel about the hero from long ago, there's a story where the hero is defeated by the demon lord. After that, the demon lord destroyed several small countries and met a dragon. The demon lord was defeated in the end but the battle made two great countries sunk into sea of flames.  From the rumor said by the minstrel, even the large empire that preceded Saga empire perished because it got mixed up in the fight between the dragon and the demon lord."

I see now~ It's like eliminating a robber with a ballistic missile huh.

According to Arisa, there was once a labyrinth which the dragon encamped. However, from human's viewpoint, both dragon and demon lord were threats, so they made the hero at that time to fight it. It's unknown which one won, but it's known that there are no labyrinths encamped by dragons right now.





The demon which appeared in Seryuu city might have come to check on the situation of the dragon.

If the fact that the dragons are no more then this city might become the target of the demon lord.
I bring the subject to Arisa.

"Even excluding the dragon, wouldn't it be 100 years before this city become a target?"
"Why?"
"The labyrinth is growing. It gives birth to monsters and sucks on the life of the adventurers who come seeking the magic core to grow. When the labyrinth vastly deepened, the monsters also become much stronger."
"I see... a young labyrinth isn't good enough for the demon lord."

Hmm? Wait...

"Hey, by any chance, are labyrinths tools for demon lord raid?"
"Well yes, there are some who think that."
"Then, isn't it better to destroy the labyrinth?"

If we destroy the labyrinth (Spawn Point) then the demon lord will have fewer army forces and the hero's job will get way easier isn't it?

"That may be so, but there are 6 labyrinths in this continent beside the one here. Suppose the probability of demon lord appearing in each labyrinth is equal, in 400 years, it was recognized as calamity whether or not it appeared. Furthermore, since the labyrinth produces usable materials like magic cores, people treat it as if it's a mine."

"I see, if we destroy it then people will hold grudges huh."
"Yes, Kubooku kingom was the leader of the small countries in neighborhood during the time when its labyrinth was alive, but when they destroyed the Dungeon Core, they rapidly declined."

"Could the destroyed Dungeon Core be revived?"
"Isn't that so? I wasn't around when they performed the ritual so I don't know the detail though."

So the labyrinth is appealing enough for people to even perform such an abominable ritual...
The saying that human greed knows no bounds is really true~





"Still, you sure know a lot, Arisa."
"Now you're saying that after thoroughly questioning me?"

Arisa is amazed. I was sure that she would have said, "You can revere me more~", but if we have Arisa test, then she had failed.

"There were a lot of documents pertaining to the labyrinth in the storehouse of the royal family. The explanations earlier may contain deduction and hypothesis, so take heed okay?"

She's good at delivering flood of information. ...I'm nearly drowning from it though.

"I got the things about the demon lord and hero from books, documents, minstrels and storytellers' song tales. That's why the fiction and non-fiction may got mixed up. I did carefully examined it though~."

It seems that those were popular as entertainments.

"As for the details about skills and levels, they're from my own experience and the result of observation."

"Is that all you want to know?", she cutely tilts her head. Her figure is such that it would have stirred me with a craving to protect her if I didn't know her true nature.

"That's right, I forgot to ask anyone this, how many days is a year?"

According to Arisa, 1 year is 10 months, 1 month is 30 days. There is no concept of week, a month is divided by 3 part consisting of upper moon, middle moon and lower moon.

By the way I thought that my clock is off by 4 hours but now I know that one day is 28 hours here.
Compared to yearly unit, this world system is shorter for about 4%.





Since there are still two hours before sunset, I ask Arisa and the girls to buy necessities for our journey.

"Then I'm counting on you to shop for rock salt and preserved foods. Also buy two barrels for water."

"Ye~s.", "Shopping~?", "Nano desu.", I received lively replies.

"For how many days of shares should we buy?"
"Buy the shares for 10 days. Considering the season right now, normal foods should be fine for the first 3 days. The preserved foods shouldn't expire for 240 days, is it about right? Seems that we would need quite an amount."
"I'll ask Martha-cchi if there is any wholesale shop around. And, since we probably wouldn't be able to carry it, I'll ask for delivery."
"Yeah, please do."

She's reliable at the time for shopping.

I'd be glad to accompany them, but I decide to go back to the room because there is something that I want to confirm.





There's something that I didn't tell Arisa.


Dragons are natural enemies of demons.

Demons want to eliminate dragons.


Who summoned me to this world?

For what reason did I get summoned to this world?

Why do my power have discrepancies with those of the heroes?


Yes, I am,

"The one who summoned me might be the demon or the demon lord is it...."

Those words weren't questions...





Previous Chapter

Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku 4-7

4-7. Satou's Secret

 

Satou's here. I have finished doing self-analysis and self-development during the days of job hunting.

I'm reluctant to look back at it.





I sit on the bed while putting the bag on the side.
Arisa is taking off her mantle as soon as she enters our bedroom, and when she started to take off her clothes too, I stop her with a chop to her head.

"Ouchie~ What, didn't you lust for me?"
"Let's decide that after 10 years."
"No way~ This is a chance to violate the precious body of a boy..."

While chattering pointlessly, Arisa still proceeds to wear her clothes back and sits on the opposite bed.

"You said something about consultation at noon right? Did anything happen?"
"Wonder where should I begin..."
"Why don't you tell me all about it? They said that the king has donkey ears~."
<TLN: http://www.worldstories.org.uk/stories/story/88-the-king-with-donkey-ears>

Doesn't that story end with everything coming to light?

"Then how about removing the thing that you don't want to say? Though I couldn't tell it to anyone anyway if you order me not to~."

"That's right..."

The disposable long-range skill that I had when I first got here? Then I change the story a little by only telling that it was used to annihilate each communities of scale tribes.
I speak in quite a firm tone, but Arisa wryly smiles for some reason.

"What's wrong, I'm not bragging you know?"
"I understand, but unique skill is our trump card, you should hide it properly."

"Sorry, I'll be careful."
"Then, what is the consultation about? Were those scale tribe communities members of Liza's race?"

Arisa listens while hugging her knee on top of the bed. Since her new skirt is long, I'm relieved that her underwear isn't visible.

Liza's tribe lived in wetlands far away from here, they were wiped out after a dispute with the weasel tribe many years ago, Liza told me the story during the frog grill party back then. It seems that she was kidnapped by the slave-hunting human when she was wandering with her family. She also said that she and her family were fearful with Dragon Valley so they didn't dare to get close to it.

"No, it's not that, it's just that even though I accidentally annihilated a whole tribe, I don't feel any guilt. I feel like the guilt was easily and completely turned off like an ON/OFF switch. As if someone is manipulating my heart..."

If I didn't almost got manipulated by Arisa, I probably wouldn't think of this either...

"They call this Paranoia in my old life! but that won't satisfy you, right"
"It's different from paranoia, it's as if the feeling of 『Guilt』 is vacuumed into closet... It's hard to explain."

"Fuh~n? Weren't you originally cold-blooded?"
"Since I was a programmer I do like to think efficiently, but I don't think I was cold-blooded. When the game I made was made fun of (on the internet), I became depressed for days."
"Hee~ So you were a game developer? What kind of game was it?"

"I'll talk about it later. Rather than that"
"Do you want to know the cause for the ON/OFF switch feeling?"

Arisa who covered my words with hers, subtly smiles mischievously.

"Perhaps your MND (mental strength) attribute is too high?"
"It's certainly high but..."

"If your VIT (Durability) is high, you become able to take many hit right? MND is the mental version of that. In the first place, you're purposely letting yourself be tormented by guilt, unless you're a masochist, it should disappear fast."

Is that so?
I thought that it was someone's doing, but it was merely a problem of my stat...





"Then the next."
"Ou ke~y, come at m~e"

Arisa is playing around, but it's reassuring to have someone to confide in like this.

"Based on the logic earlier, if I have high INT (Intelligence) then I should have good memory, yet I feel like I become extremely more forgetful than before. What is the meaning of this?"

"Uwah~ eh~, you have amnesia even being this young?"

I'm about to chop her but Arisa quickly takes a guard.
Because her flustered posture looks cute, I'll let this one slide.

"I'm joking, even though comprehension and memory do go up with INT, it doesn't mean that they go up equally. If high INT means that you can't forget then there wouldn't be any careless scholars right?"

No way...
My mentor was a professor extremely close to getting a Nobel prize. His careless episodes, like a revolving lantern, cross my mind.
<TLN: His or her, who knows? blame the kare>

"...That means, I was really just being paranoid?"

"Looks like it~."

Arisa throws herself onto the bed and laughs.

Speaking of which, I originally became paranoid because of this girl's mind magic attempt...
Even while thinking that, I'm not childish enough to utter it on my mouth.





"Hey Arisa."
"What? Do you want to get sticky?"
"I'll refrain from that."

This girl really likes to utter one word too many.

"What are levels and skills in the first place?"
"Like the ones from RPG, as it is?"
"Any other meanings beside that?"
"I don't know. I didn't ask when I met god, and he didn't answer when I tried to call him after reincarnating."

"Just tell me as far as you know."
"Right then, I guess you can call skill a condensation of experience and knowledge? When you have skill, don't you feel that you 『Somehow』 know the what and how? Maybe it's close to intuition. For example, you could cook even without the skill, but if someone with high level skill cooks with the same ingredients and tools, he will make something more delicious."

I see... However, the appraisal and market price estimation skill are quite obvious though?
Also, 'that' is different too? I confirm it with Arisa.

"How about something like the contract skill, which clearly demonstrates its effect?"
"Well, contract skill is a kind of magic skill. It has chanting and it also uses magic power for the contract. But it's still basically the same as other skill you know? Even if you don't have the skill, you could still chant and use the contract spell if you have abundant magic power. However, like other magic skills, if you don't have the contract skill, the required magic power to cast the spell will be drastically increased and the success rate will sharply drop, making it realistically impossible."

I ask about skill level too.

"Here are the standards for skill level; level 1 is Beginner, level 3 is Full-fledged, level 5 is Skilled, level 7 is Expert, and level 9 is Genius. It is said that level 10 is Godly class~ but I've never seen it~."

Is that so, I generally raised my skills to level 10... No wonder I always got the market price right, and almost always succeed in haggling.

"Don't unique skills have level?"

"Nope. This was said by the god when I reincarnated, unique skill is a fragment of god power so there is no level. Master it well, he said~"

A fragment of god power?
Certainly Meteor Shower is befitting of its name, but beside that the others are subtle.

"What?! What's with that subtle expression?"

"No well, when you said that unique skill is a fragment of god power, I thought that my unique skill sure is subtle...."

"Enough to make that subtle expression on your face?"

Although I don't have proof for this confidence, I decide to tell her about [Menu].
Despite her behavior and speech, Arisa seems reliable, she looks to be useful if I tell her.

I don't intend to tell her in detail. I'll just roughly tell her about the functions.

"I'm telling because my unique skill is Menu with the same performance as the one Arisa and the heroes have"
"Well, I will listen if you want, but it's better if you keep it a secret you know?"

Arisa advices me.

"I don't mind, however don't tell a word to anyone. This is an 『Order』."
"Okkey~ I'll bring it to my grave."

Arisa kneels on the bed, and haughtily taps her flat chest.

"My Menu has Self-Status, Status Check, Hide Skill and Inventory like Arisa's skills."
"As expected of unique skill, it's a cheat~ But Isn't it really common for a unique skill?"

"That's not all. Although I can choose to allocate point at which skill, I can't choose to do so for all skills like Arisa. It's only available for skills that I acquire by experience."
"Uwah, isn't it a degraded version of unique skill?"
"The Hide Skill from menu is superior. It can hide any skills."
"Looks like it~"

It seems that Arisa has guessed it.

"I mean, didn't you use Appraisal skill in the city? Your line of sight was unnatural, and your decision was too accurate~."

Th, this girl, is she an agent from somewhere?!

"I'm good at observing people. And you also have crisis sensing skill right? Although your movement with the accident faker was really great, it was amazing how you notice it in the first place."

"That's also part of the Menu. I can understand the position of people nearby with the radar display. There's also map display. It also has an auto-mapping function. It gradually fills in accordance to my walking range. It was a big help inside the labyrinth."

"I see, it's truly 『Menu』. Didn't you think that you were inside a game for having such unique skill without any explanation?"
"I thought that I was in a dream instead."

"Well, it's unbelievable I know~." Arisa nods understandingly.





While we're at it, Arisa-sensei also teaches me about level.

"...That's why you can level up by fighting or studying, so anyway, if you actively learn new things you gain experience. When the experience reach a fixed value then your level will be raised. It seems that experience goes up faster if you fight certain monsters."

It seems that she heard about the monsters thing from the soldier and knight on her homeland.
It gave far more experiences compared to monster they normally hunted.

"Hoo? Do you know why?"
"Not at all, I've never fought a monster."

"But" Arisa continues.

"If it's master, then you should know right? From what I've heard from Liza and the girls, they raised 10 levels in 1 day in the labyrinth. That's higher than the result from my 7 years of desperate studies you know?"
"Certainly, it was an abnormal growth when you think about it."

"Isn't it~. That's why, in order to increase our survival chance, we should go to labyrinth city to level up~."

She said the same thing back at noon...
Come to think of it, she said another strange thing back then.

"By the way, what the heck is demon lord season?"
"I wonder if they don't call it that around here? In my country we call it for the season when the demon lord attack after about 66 years cycle."






Previous Chapter

Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku 4-6

4-6. Carriage and Coachman

 

Satou's here. I do have a driver license but I have never actually drive for years.
As a man who lived in the center of the city, I was already satisfied with the public transport.
Although if I had my own car, it'd had been convenient in a date...





"We only have horse-carriage cabs here. If you want to buy a carriage then order it on the merchant guild inside the inner wall."

I tried talking to the people on the stable areas near the gate, but they didn't sell it there. Is this like trying to buy a car in a taxi stand? I'm a bit ashamed.

"The merchant guild should have them if you're fine with used one. They were looking for buyers if I'm not mistaken."

A different coachman interrupts while we were talking.
I thank him, then I ride on his carriage cab to the merchant guild. I asked Arisa and Liza to carry the luggages back to the inn.





The coachman who has escorted me to the merchant guild kindly mediates with the guild for me.

"We don't usually sell to people outside of merchant guild member, but since you're introduced by Yosagu-san, let's make an exception."

Yosagu is the coachman's name. It doesn't really matter, but the merchant here is Sunifun-san.
He shows me two carriages. One of them is a covered wagon. The inside is about 4 tatami wide I think? The other one is a box-shaped carriage. It's about 2 meter high, and with a luggage space on the ceiling. The width inside is the same.
The covered wagon is 10 gold coins. The box-shaped carriage is 30 gold coins. The box-shaped carriage is more robust and safer, but you will need 4-6 horses to pull it. The covered wagon depends on its load, if the load is light then you only need 1-2 horses.

I wanted the safe one so I was going to buy the box-shaped carriage, but I'm told that since the center of gravity is tall, the operation of the carriage is difficult, so I stopped.
I have a car license, but driving a carriage? Since I don't have any experience on it, let's proceed carefully.

I ask to be shown the inside before buying. The inside of the covered wagon is, how do I say it, normal. Under the seat for coachman, there's a hidden space for valuables. It seems that it was remodeled by the previous owner.

"I'd like to buy this covered wagon, but could you also prepare the horses together?"

"Right, we could prepare two Gontsu horses from the guild for you. We could provide four if it's donkey, but depending on the load and the destination, they may not be suitable."

I tell him that the destination is labyrinth city and the load are 6 peoples and their necessities, he recommends the Gontsu horses for the task. If I carry heavy luggages then, even if it's slower, he says that donkeys are better.
If you want to be fast, then Shuberien horses are the ones you want but it seems that they all have been brought by the territory government.

The price for two horses and the wagon are 20 gold coins but I've managed to get it down to 18.
Sunifun-san is surprised to see me paying it fully and in cash.

Normally people will get the bill first, and pay at the later date. "I'm quite hasty, I used to get scolded by the people on my house because of it.", I use excuse as if I'm a son of a noble who's ignorant with the world.

"Satou-sama, since 6 people are going to the labyrinth city, it would be wasteful if you only bring an empty load."

Is that so?
Certainly, half of the space would be usable. Furthermore, me and Arisa also have plenty of storage capabilities.

"Do you have any products to recommend?"

"Right then, I think that crossbow and bolt would have demands in labyrinth city. Since the crossbows from Seryuu city are made to shoot Wyvern on the sky, its specs are higher than from other region so it would sell like hot cakes. Also, since it's currently cheap to procure goat leathers and furs due to the season, I think it would be easy to profit on it."

"Excuse me, do Satou-sama has commercial right?"
"Unfortunately, I do not."

So a permit is really necessary?

"That's unfortunate, we can only issue a permit for 10 gold coins."
"That's quite expensive."

"One doesn't need permit to do the trades in small quantity inside city, but if you enter a city without one then you won't be exempt from the tariff tax so the profit will be almost nil."

I see then I should put them inside the storage to avert the tariff...
But there's no reason to earn money illegally.

"If you don't go to other city then there's an item that is exempted from tax in the labyrinth city, but since the tax for it in other cities is quite high, there's really no meaning to it."

"What kind of item is it?"

"Because there is no demand in this city, they don't have name here, but it's in constant demand in the labyrinth city. It's an alchemy material called Dragon White Stone."

I think my face shows it when I heard the name. Since Sunifun-san asks for it, I tell him about the fraud I met in the east district.

"I see, it's natural that you had such face. However, the ones here are guaranteed by the merchant association."

It seems that they sell one small barrel for 10 gold coins, the same as the market price. By the way, it seems that you could easily sell that amount for 20 gold coins in labyrinth city.
If I could sell it for twice the price then wouldn't I net quite a profit?
So I thought, but he said that because of the tariffs for the entering cities on the way and the transportation cost, the profit end up to be quite small.

"If the stones doesn't sell, then you can bring it to the merchant guild, they will buy it at the price you buy here. If you wish, we could make a letter of endorsement to guarantee the quality."

I was almost made to buy in large quantity, but I declined by saying that there won't be enough space for water and food if I bought to many.

I end up buying 6 small barrels of Dragon White Stone, 100 pieces of goat leather, 100 bundle of wool, 10 crossbows and 1000 bolts.

Because they're all 70 gold coins even after I lowered the price, I sign a temporary contract, and will pay for it tomorrow along with the products exchange.





Right now, I'm riding the covered wagon outside the Seryuu city ...That said, it's not like we have departed.

After I had finished the business at the guild, outside, I asked Sunifun-san if he could introduce me to someone who could teach me how to operate the wagon. There, Yosagu-san who were waiting for me to return said, "Then let this old bone teach you.", and that was how the flow went.

As Yosagu-san starts to teach the basic of operating a wagon.

>[Marshaling Skill Acquired]

Like always, I allocate 1 skill point to it and activate it. ...So it wasn't included in Operation skill.

It's awkward, but I can control the wagon for once. During the practice, I raise the skill level by 1, it's not as high as Yosagu-san skill level at 3, but since I could already control the wagon fine, I stop raising the level.

"Young guy do learn fast isn't it."
"Thanks to Yosagu-san good teaching."

Disregarding the cheat from skill, Yosagu-san's teaching really is good. I had failed once but he firmly taught me what to be careful with. He might be suited to be an instructor.
Particularly when I treated it like a car, forgetting that the horses are creatures, he was mad many times...

"You're good enough like this."
"Thank you very much."

"Next I will teach you how to fix and release the yoke that connects the horse to the wagon. The horse's fatigue depends on how good you are at this. If you value your horses, then don't cut corner on this."

Yosagu-san looks more serious than when he teach me to ride the wagon. He probably quite likes horses. After about 1 hour of strict training, I finally got a passing mark from Yosagu-san.

I thought that it had took a long time, but Yosagu-san said that one normally only scratch the surface in half a day, he's impressed.

Yosagu-san tells me that he was a coachman working for a caravan before he worked as a cab coachman in Seryu city. He teaches me various things like crossbows and spears are good for defending the wagon, or that I should always resupply drinking water at cities since they're not always available at the indicated spot on the map, or that when we take a break, I should not forget to give rock salt to the horse along with water.





We're going to the merchant guild with the wagon. Since Yosagu-san's carriage is left on the guild, we're going there to fetch it.
During the way there, Yosagu-san talks about the brothels in Seryuu city. It seems that he's into big breasts.
As a thanks for teaching me various things, I've decided to luxuriously treat him at the shop he recommends, tomorrow evening. Since there are a lot of loli around me recently, this will be fun.





Before returning to the Monzen inn with the covered wagon, I go to receive my clothes. I come just as the delivery, so I'm able to meet the rumored tailor. I feel like I know her face, then I realized that she's the bath tub partner (lol) I met on the first day, it's embarrassing. It's surprising that she also remembers me, but there's no real development, and I thank her for the quality of her clothes as an etiquette.





I ride the wagon into the courtyard of the Monzen inn. Martha-chan is just right at it, so I tell her that I've bought the wagon. Since there are rooms in the stable, seems that it's all right. However, I have to pay for the parking fee since it's a different charge from normal inn room.

"Wilcome home~?"
"Nano desu~."

When I'm talking with Martha-chan, Pochi and Tama run from the shade behind the courtyard. Tama probably wanted to say welcome. Two people also appear from the shade. The helper girl (Yuni) is also together with them. I wonder if she doesn't have prejudice against demi-human?

Arisa and the girls seems to have been playing in the shade of garden plants of the courtyard. No, that words isn't right. They're trying to learn the letters from the learning cards.

At first, it seems that Martha-chan is teaching, acting as the teacher.
But in the middle, "Let's put the card face up and read the letter, then if you can guess the content in the back right, it's yours to take.", Arisa proposed that game-like study session, but since the other members weren't familiar with the game, they became quite addicted to it.

It has already been continuing for two hours. The one who win the most is Arisa, followed by Pochi, Lulu, Yuni, Tama, and Liza in order.

I leave the horses for everyone else to take care, and bring only Arisa to the room. Lulu's expression becomes a bit cloudy, but I can just clear the misunderstanding later.





Previous Chapter

Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku 4-5

4-5. Flea Market (2)

 

Satou's here. Man who tries to scam with get-rich-quick scheme has the same atmosphere even in different world, I wonder why?

In the first place, in this world, having scam skill is enough to get you arrested...





The Radar which has only been displaying white dots until now, suddenly shows a lone red dot.
It's near.

The man pretends to stagger while plunging straight at me. His hands are holding a box wrapped in velvet cloth. A scammer, or should I say a fraudulent extortionist.

He's coming with a speed and distance that normally would be unavoidable, but I avoid it naturally.
From the surrounding's viewpoint, it probably looks like a man suddenly falls down on his own. The fact that, it is, but...

"Aaah! My heirloom's pot!"

He cried out loud, we cannot not get involved now.
After I avoided the man, I confirmed that Liza and Arisa had completely ignored the man and kept walking, properly following me. Seems that Arisa had also noticed it with her Sense Evil.

"Hey, you! Don't run away!"

The man holds the broken pot with one hand, and grabs me with the other.
Matching the timing with when he grabbed me, I made him faint. The people around should see it as if he fainted because he was too exasperated.
If I only have the Fighting skill then I wouldn't have been able to do it this smoothly, thanks to Abduction skill, I did it without being noticed.

I put the fainted man to the back alley carefully. Before we leave him, I check his status because he might have friends, but he doesn't belong to any criminal guild.
He will probably loses all his belongings before he wakes up, but at least he probably won't die.


"The security here really is bad~"
"Yeah, when I first went into the east district, the content of my purse was quickly got stolen."

Come to think of it, even though this is a district with bad security problem, there sure are a lot of shops with expensive commodities. Is the crime prevention all right?
I begin to worry about other people's problems.

When I observe more carefully, there are several people with good physiques, who clearly aren't merchants, strutting along the area.
Checking on AR, they are called East District Vigilante Corp, one of the watchdog guilds. It seems that several groups are guarding the area together.





Right now we are in the area of the flea market focused on pottery. I buy a bottle with lid to put medicine and ointment. The bottle is not made of glass but bisque. This is the same thing as the one from the alchemy introductory set, but won't the medicine have chemical reaction?

That remind me, I've bought an alchemy set yet I've never read the book even once.

A crowd is formed a bit in front of us.
"I wonder what~" Arisa says while briskly goes into the crowd, she comes back after a while with a bored face.

"What was it?"
"Since they said that it's a magic tool, I expected something good... but it's just a spinning top which moves after you pour it magic power. Furthermore it's 1 gold coin much, those people are also crowding just because they're curious."

What did you say?

"How did he pour the magic power?"
"There's a magic apparatus-like part on the disk section which he uses to directly put the magic power by hand, when he releases his hand the tool begins move. What? Are you interested with that toy?"

I leave Arisa who elatedly call me "Childish", and head toward the crowd. When the demonstration is finished, the crowd disperses.
According to Appraisal, the thing put on the stall is called [Rolling Ring]. Since the description is like usual, I don't read it. The disk diameter is about 20cm, it's big for a spinning top. The market price is 2 gold coins.

Some children pester the shopkeeper to spin the disk again but he refused since he has no magic power left.

"Hello, if you're fine with it, I could pour the magic power for you."
"My bad nii-san. Hold the disk with both of your hands, then circulate magic power from your right hand to your left. Blue line light will lit on the disk after a bit, you can stop pouring magic power then and gently place the disk on the stand."

It's completely filled after I pour 2 MP.
Looking at Timer, I release it after I found the right time.

The AR displays the number of rotation when I stare at the disk.
It's doing 600 rotations per 10 minute. Moreover the spinning speed is constant until it run out of magic power. Depending on its torque, it could be useful for a lot of things.

Some people who are interested like Arisa earlier are coming, but soon go away after hearing the price.

"Shopkeeper-san, I want to try something. I will buy it if it broke, so will you let me?"
"If possible, I'd like you to buy it before you break it..."

What the shopkeeper is saying is a matter of course, but maybe because couldn't sell it at all, for even the tiniest possibility of selling it, he allows me.

I ask Arisa to put her magic into the disk. It consumes 5 MP this time. Are there differences between individuals?
The rotation speed is the same as earlier. I press the spinning disk from both sides after 3 minutes has elapsed. The children are booing, but I ignore them.
The rotation is surprisingly strong. It has about the same power as a radio controlled motor.

>[Experiment Skill Acquired]
>[Verification Skill Acquired]

After I take out gold coins, the shopkeeper readily tell me the maker since he has nothing to lose. It seems that it's the work of Jahad, an old magician from the royal capital.
Seems that he's famous for creating useless magic tools.

I buy 4 for 1 gold coins. It looks useful for a lot of things.

"You, such things "Arisa You're being rude to master."

Arisa is rebuked by Liza. She was unreserved with me all this time but it seems that [You] is unacceptable.
<TLN: Okay, this might sound confusing but Arisa is using [Anta] to call Satou up there, it's informal and slightly rude version of "you" in Japanese. She actually never directly call Satou with "you" pronoun before, she alway use master when she does and not use personal pronoun at all in a lot of her dialogs with Satou but English language doesn't allow that (well, I could but it would sounds just strange with lots of passives) so I used "you" carelessly before this chapter (although it's not exactly wrong, it's not exactly right either, so confusing)

For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_pronouns>

"U~ I'm sorry master."

Arisa is unusually obedient.
Because Liza's anger has force. I'm glad that she is usually mild-mannered.

"Then, what did you want to say?"
"Rather than toys, I want master to buy me magic books."
"I have books for Life magic, do you want it?"
"I'd like something more useful for battle!"

Yup, I could understand the lament of the Life magic author for a bit.
I want a recovery magic user from the present members.
I promise to bring her along when I go buy map. I think that the magic shop is still closed now, but she still insists.





"Young master, could I have your time for a bit?"

I didn't think that I was the one who got called, but when I ignore the caller, he looks troubled.
He looks like a gentlemen from the outside, but his eyes are like snake.

"Can I help you with something?"
"Does young master familiar with an alchemy material called Dragon White Stone?"
"No, I'm uneducated with it."

The gentleman keeps talking with exaggerated grieving gestures.

"I think you might know this but in making antidote, one need different materials for each type of poison."

"However, this Dragon White Stone, processed with alchemy, could be used to cure all type of poison!"

"Of course, if you live normally, then you probably won't ever get poisoned."

"Yet, for Explorers who enter labyrinth, they don't know when they will encounter monster with poison so antidote is necessary."

"But, for the sake of bringing the loots back, Explorers are compelled to bring as little supply as possible."

"Therefore, antidotes made from Dragon White Stones are traded at high price in labyrinth city."

Without letting me cut into it, he had begun a solo sales talk.
I've been ignoring it, so I want him to just get to the point.

"This Dragon White Stone, especially! Especially for the young master (...), I'll give you special price for it!"

In short, you want me to buy the Dragon White Stone because it's selling well in labyrinth city, that was long just for this.

"I understand the story now, but why don't you go to the labyrinth city yourself?"
"That's what should have been but I must go to the south after this. Therefore, I will hand it over to young master who overflows with business talent."

On what basis is he saying that I'm overflowing with business talent?
Beside, he should sell it to a firm rather than an individual in a place like this. Suspicious, doubtlessly.

"This is a sample, I also have the certificate."

He takes out a pebble sized item, it's a Dragon  White Stone according to appraisal. I still don't know if this is really an ingredient for cure-all antidote. I want reverse look-up too.
The market price for that size is 1 copper coin.

I try to properly decline it, but the sham gentleman strongly press on it. I can't separate away easily.
In the end, we decided to go to his carriage to look at the stocks.

On top of the carriages, clusters of very small rocks wrapped in waterproof cloth are put.
The sham gentleman pulls the cloth to show off the white rocks(...) and continues the sales talk.
I see a person, who's just right for this, coming here. Let's drag him into this.

"How is it, this quality here. If you bring this to the labyrinth city then it's going to worth close to 100 gold coins. Because of the brilliance shown by young master, I will hand it over."

"Unfortunately I don't have 100 gold coins on hands. At most, I only have 20 gold coins."

The sham gentleman looks slightly bitter. But I saw the corner of his eyes moving slightly.

"This is difficult, If it's 30 gold coins then I would've yielded..."

"Is that so, too bad. Well then, let's end this talk here."

And so I pull straight away.
The sham gentleman hurriedly get back.

"No, let's count on the future of young master, I will yield for 20 gold coins this time, for investment."

Ignoring the sham gentleman, I call the gnome who's passing through on the side. It's the manager of the alchemy shop.

"Hello manager-san"
"The heck are you?"
"I'm the beginner who bought the alchemy set in your shop the other day."
"Oh yeah, how's your training?"
"Yes, It's still quite difficult."
"Well yeah, it's not something that could be done overnight."

"Right manager-san, this gentleman here is trading something called Dragon White Stone. How about stocking some for manager-san's shop?"

Saying so, I point at the lumps of rock salt(...) on the carriage. That's right, the sham gentleman scam tactic is by first showing the real Dragon White Stone pebble to someone and then sell rock salts as the real thing.

"What are you saying, those are rock salts."
"Eeeeh~! So those are rock salts!"

I exaggeratedly act surprised and say "What is the meaning of this!", sending the fraud into panic.
If he run away, then I thought of letting him go but the manager's bodyguard with big body quickly constrict the fraud and drag him away.
You guys are too quick...

"I got dragged into a boring farce."

The manager looks truly indignant.

"Thanks for your help."
"Fuhn, you bastard must've known it from the start with appraisal. Just when I went to flea market for finding bargain on raw materials, I was made to dispose small peon instead."

To soothe him, I tell him about the thing with spinning top earlier, after hearing that he leaves me alone and quickly goes to that stall.
He probably got an idea to use it for mixing materials.





Previous Chapter

Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku 4-4

4-4. Flea Market

 

Satou's here. Doing trial and error is the most fun time I ever have.
Although it's depressing when there are too many errors...





"You could die before you could raise your level."
"It's alright, I have plenty of safety margins prepared."

I ignore Arisa who keeps talking in high spirit, and ask for Liza's thought.

"Liza, do you want to go to the labyrinth city too?"
"I will go to wherever master go to."
"I'm grateful for your deep loyalty, but I'd like to hear Liza's opinion. Since I will still be the one who make the final decision, please tell me your honest feeling without refraining."

Listen to subordinate's opinion and implement them as it is ⇒ If it fail, blame the subordinate, I won't be like that. I've decided not to be like that when I was in subordinate's position on my work. Don't impose absurd assignments!

"I would like to go to the labyrinth city if permitted."

"Hey~ I'm having a good speech here, listen~"
"I'll listen to you later."
"Che~, you're treating me differently than Liza-san~"

I ignore Arisa who becomes a bit sulky.
If we go to the labyrinth city, the advantages are as follow, Liza and the girls could go around freely, the discrimination would be minimized (it probably won't disappear), and Arisa and the girls could raise their levels.
The disadvantages are... None? Nono, I'll be parting with people I'm acquainted in this town, like Zena-san and Nadi-san. She worried about me so much, while here I'm thinking such cold-hearted thing.

"Well, I have no intention of settling down in the labyrinth city, but it could be nice to go on a tour there."
"Tour... This isn't like our original world."

Isn't it fine? Different world tour.

"Rather than that, where is this labyrinth city located?"
"I don't know?"

Oy, princess.

"Wait, don't look at me with those eyes. I do know that it is on Shiga Kingdom, but I don't know the exact location."

Should I buy some simple map from the bookstore? My map only display the wilderness from back then and Seryuu city, so it's unusable for this case.  I'm not entirely sure of this but it probably could display the whole area only if I've been there first.

"Master you don't have horses or a carriage right?"
"Nope."
"I wonder where they're selling it?"

Since the square near the gate has an area full of big stables, I'll ask there. Usually I would ask Nadi-san, but I've just tasked her with a request earlier, so she's probably not available now.

"Since you can afford a house then you must be able to afford horse and carriage, but for the sake better journey, let's look for hidden treasures for traveling expenses!"

Arisa points at a flea market. This girl sure has an iron heart. Even after she was thoroughly ignored, she's not discouraged.

The flea market is open on the place where the slave auction was held yesterday, on the widest square of the east district.
The slave traders' carriages and tents remain as they were, but the stalls that were selling sake and foods in the midnight are gone, in their places, dozens of merchant open their business showing various junks lined up on a space about as small as a desk. There might be more than 100 of them.

"Master, I have a request before we charge ahead."
"I'll listen for once, what is it?"
"I want permission to use two magics. They're <<Sense Magic Wave>> and <<Sense Evil>>."

After she explained the effect of those magics, I give her permission. The former is a magic to "Somehow" able to discern magic tools and the latter is to recognize someone who is approaching with malicious intent.
Since there doesn't seem to be any particular harm, I allow her. Of course I could do it myself even if I don't let her, but I'm not the kind of a person who like to prohibit anything and everything.

"This! This is surely a find!"

The tool that Arisa proudly proclaim is a magic tool for sure, a broken one according to appraisal.  The name of tool  is [The Invitation of the Dream Flies in the Moonlight Night], that questionable name come up, and the appraisal result is [▲▲▲ but ●●● in order to □□ did ●▲ playing ● namagu]. As usual, description of this world's magic tools feels like harassments.  The shape itself looks like a musical instrument or a music box, but the decorations are obscene so it's probably a lewd tool.

"It looks like it's broken, so no."

I go out of the stall while the shopkeeper promote the tool as a work of art, and we look around other stalls. It's fun to go around stalls in this kind of flea market.

Because I see the same short wand I bought back then for less than half the price, I bought two of them. After I bought it, I realized that it was a waste of money... but it could eventually be useful for something.

Other things are ornamental strings to tie Pochi's and Tama's short sword sheath to their belts, I also buy tassel decoration for Liza spear. Each of them only cost several copper coins.
In typical RPG, leather products are usually expensive, strangely, from what I've heard from the nii-chan shopkeeper, in this season they kill a lot of goats who don't hibernate, so they stock up a lot of leather products making it cheaper.

Because prices are considerably cheaper on flea market, it's harder to shop than on normal stalls.

I didn't forget to buy a ribbon as a souvenir for Lulu. It's a pink colored ribbon about 50cm long. The color is lighter than the stole Zena-san bought this morning. I wonder if the dye come from this neighborhood?

A lot of suspicious medicines are being displayed, but according to appraisal skill, they are just fake energy drinks with no effect. I'm interested with the energy drink part, but since the skill doesn't tell me the ingredients, I refrain.

They're also selling soap and pomade among other hair products. I'm not buying the pomade because the smell is too strong, but even though the soap is an expensive item for this market and as much as one big copper coin, I buy it without hesitation since it has nostalgic scents of milk soaps. I only want to buy one but Arisa desperately pleas, "This is good stuff!", I ended up buying all seven of the stocks.

"Master~ this! Buy this~."

The thing that Arisa offered are... glasses. Since these don't have lens, it's just a frame.

"What do you want this for? This kind of thing."
"Of course it's for master to use! There aren't enough glasses boys in this fantasy world! This is the first step to bring the fetish to this world~~~~."

I give a chop to Arisa who started to scream incomprehensible things to silent her. The shopkeeper says that it's one silver coin, but I don't buy it of course.





The neighbor stall has cards-like... Isn't that Karuta. From appraisal, it's an item passed down from the ancestor of Seryuu city's earl from ancient Yamato era. It's not a magic tool but it seems to be under effect of fixture magic. The market price is 10 gold coin.

"Onii-san, you have discerning eyes~ This is a toy from the ancient empire."

Arisa interrupts, "Eh~ How do you play it?", while looking playful.

Ignoring the shopkeeper who start spouting some random things, I'm fascinated with the pile of papers in front of me. There are five 30cm thick stacks of book and papers tied with string, among them one is worth 100 gold coins. It's abnormal compared to the other bundles which are only valued for about one big copper coin each.

"How much is that toy?"
"It's 3 gold coins, but for the cute young lady here, I'll give you 7 silver coins, how about it?"

I pretend to be interested with Karuta and listen to him. Its asking price is about 1/7 of the market price. I could get some profit if I resale it, but it's bothersome to look for the customers.
Arisa loses interest after hearing the price. She seemed to have wanted it because it's nostalgic, but it seems that she didn't really want it to that much.

"It's a bit expensive. How about these bundles of papers, are they some kind of reading material?"
"They don't have any value, but since they're made of papers, burning it would be wasteful, so I'm selling them in bundles."

I casually enter into the topic with the shopkeeper.
It seems that it was disused things from when he was sorting things for a certain wealthy person. He wanted to sift through usable books to be sold later, but found out that most of them are just paper useful only for scribbling.

"How much is it? It looks like most papers are writable on both sides, so it should be able to be used for the children's writing practice."
"Right then, I'll give you one bundle for 3 copper coins. If you buy them all then I'll make it 2 big copper coins."

I decided to buy them all. I'll have the unnecessary papers for Lulu and the girls to learn letters.
I put the papers to the pouch from the bag and give it to Liza. I was going to carry half, but Liza refused.

"Customer, if you want to teach letters, how about you use this item here?"

He shows me cards with Shiga kingdom's vocabularies, while the back sides are drawn with the picture of the corresponding letters. The picture is monochrome but since the lines are highlighted, you can understand how to write it. On the [Water] card, I don't know what's drawn on it, but there are only a few like that.
1 set consist of 100 pieces. They're written with ink pen one by one. It must have been made with enormous effort, but the market price shows that it's only 1 silver coin.

"Those are some interesting cards."
"This is something that I thought myself, I was thinking of using it to teach the children in my hometown."

From what he said, it was originally made from wood wastes and ink. He thought that it would sell well so he earnestly asked a painter acquaintance to make one set, and he promoted it heavily to the chamber of commerce but the production cost and the selling price were too lop-sided. It seems that the production cost 4 silver coins while chamber only want to pay 1 silver coin for it.

"So this was all drawn one by one?"
"Yes, of course it was..."

Won't the cost become cheaper if you use printing?
Arisa stops me. She puts her forefinger on her mouth.

"What?"
"Weren't you trying to suggest printing?"
"Yeah. ...Anything wrong with it?"
"When I was in the castle, I've never seen printing. It's dangerous to carelessly introduce technology you know?"
"Even though there's casting, they don't know printing?"
"Technology seems to be something like that."

Arisa who had failed once insists, I'll stop suggesting the printing.
I apologize to the shopkeeper for having private talk during the negotiation.

"I'm sorry, it was a difficult story to tell."
"I'm sorry too, even though there are only few people who are interested with this..."
"I want to buy 1 set, how much is it?"

So the interest was low? Even though that it could be popular.
He cites 4 silver coins. That's the production cost.

"Is it fine? Then won't you not profit from this?"
"It's fine. If I can give this product to a person who understand its worth."

I'm a bit moved with his melancholy.
It's a good idea, it would be a shame if it just fade away.

"Why don't you think the way to produce them next time? Since there should be demands, you could think about the price afterward. You could look for cheap material, or a way to mass produce them cheaply, it's fun to do various trials and errors."

I thought that he would think that it's just some needless words of the customer during the payment, but maybe because he found a fellow who understand him as an inventor, his eyes start to regain its strength, after confirming that, I go toward other stalls.





Previous Chapter

Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku 4-3

4-3. Miscellaneous Matters and Flags

 

Satou's here. Do you feel like you're dancing at someone's palm?

I feel like Son Goku from Saiyuki...





"What's the matter? Master, your back is slouching you know~?"

My thought which has been going in circle stopped, Arisa is standing carrying large luggages.

"Your tummy hurt~?"
"Hurt no desu?"

I turn my line of sight to the direction where my robe is pulled, there Pochi and Tama are looking worryingly while crouching near my feet.
Liza calmly stands, but her worries are transmitted here.

"I'm okay, I was just tired after being so busy for the past two days."

I pat Pochi's and Tama's heads.
I'm really disqualified as an adult for worrying these girls. Just by thinking so, the guilt and fear that had been weighting on my mind just before disappear like fallen tides.

...I check the Log just in case any message pops up but there's none.

I really should talk with Arisa tonight. I whispered to Arisa, "Tonight, after Lulu is sleeping, spare some of your time", but, "Eh~ aren't you falling too fast?", an answers full of misunderstanding comes out. I will take that as an OK for now.

When I ask for the result of the shopping, Pochi and Tama happily begin to take out clothes from the bag, I stop them. It has been decided to check them after we get back to the inn.
Liza apologizes for spending too much, but I tell her that it's necessary expenses, so don't think about it.

Even with current pace of spending money, counting only the Shiga Kingdom's currency I have, it'll take 2-3 years before it's dried up, so there's nothing to worry.

On the way back to the inn, I'm listening to Arisa and the girls' experience in shopping. Pochi and Tama talk about their first time shopping in glee from beginning to the end, they're telling me how fun it was.
I suggested Liza to let me carry half of the luggages and Lulu's clothes, but she gently refused.




Just before the inn, I'm seeing a familiar back. She's walking a bit unsteady.
Martha-chan and the helper girl from the inn are carrying a bunch of firewoods.

"Martha-chan, are you returning from errands?"
"Ah, Satou-san. Is the date over already?"
"Unfortunately, Zena-san had works in the afternoon."

While we're talking, I take some of the firewoods from Marth-chan and the girl. It may be their errands but our destination is the same. It's fine to take it by half.
Liza tries to take it, but I refuse because both her hands are occupied. Pochi and Tama are saying "Give here~" too, but there is no point taking it from little girls just to give it to another little girls, so they give up.

It's not really heavy, although it's at least 2-3 kilos. It's unreasonable for two young girls to carry two bundles of this each. They usually have it delivered but, it seems that today the amount is not enough for training so they went to purchase it.

We enter the courtyard from the back door near the stable. I put the firewood bundles on its place.

>[Carriage Skill Acquired]

"Thank you~ Satou-san. Thanks to you, we're saved~"
"Thank you very much, guest-san."
"Don't worry about it."

Martha-chan goes to the kitchen with one bundle of firewood. The helper girl, her name is Yuni. I decided to observe Yuni who's going to take care horses of other guest.
I know that there are horses from yesterday, but I've never seen how horses are taken care, so I'm interested. This is not at all an escape.

Yuni is standing on top of a stool, and doing her best to make her small body reach the horses to brush them. I offered to help, but she said that she would get scolded by the innlady if she let a guest helps her.
After hiding their luggages on the space below the straws, Pochi and Tama come back. Pochi and Tama start helping Yuni. Liza tells me that they've helped in the night and morning too. Is it okay to get the help if it's Pochi and the girls?

Seeing the three little girls doing their best to care for the horse, I feel like a parent who came to an athletic meet to cheer for his children, I'm healed.
The little girls become 4 before I knew it, but Arisa doesn't look like she's motivated.
"Since the clothes which I've just bought will be dirty~" so she says while showing town-girl-like clothes under her mantle.

"Liza, I'm going to the temporary military post to get the spear and magic core money, do you want to come along?"
"Yes, I will accompany master."
"Me too! I'm going too!"

Pochi and Tama stop helping and run here.
"You going somewhere~?", "You go nodesu?", saying as they're coming, but since we would likely become an annoyance if we all go, I tell them to continue helping.
"Ay!","Nano desu~", and so they go back to work while carrying the horse's fodders. I wonder why they look mysteriously happy?





"How is Lulu's condition?"
"She seems to be alright. I've given her change of clothes and underwear, so if you go now you could get to see lucky lewd scenes you know~?"

I knock on Arisa's head for saying stupid things. Are you really half sister of that girl?

"Let's stop for a bit~."

I declared that and go to the Worker Guild.

"Hello Nadi-san."
"Ara, welcome Satou-san. You're together with a cute girl today."

As we entered, Nadi-san greeted courteously from the other side of the counter. There's also an old man, which seems to be the shopkeeper, but he always sleep whenever I come. Does he even work?

I talk to Nadi-san for a request to deliver mementos of the deceased.
Rather than a suspicious guy like me, this town's person like Nadi-san would be better to deliver them. By the way, I tried asking the officials at the temporary military post but I was flat out rejected. Because I conveyed the deceased name and rough figures, she should be able to contact the bereaved families.

"Do you also want me to collect the remuneration on your behalf?"
"Come again? What remuneration?"

After conveying the information about the deceased to Nadi-san who willingly undertake the delivery, I hear some strange things.
It seems that she wanted to know if she's also to act as an agent for receiving the rewards for delivering mementos. I'm just being a busybody so I don't really need rewards...

"Then how about only receive the reward if the family is rich? People like those will get suspicious you're aiming for something if you deliver the mementos without asking rewards."

So it become like that. It was decided to give the worker guild the maximum limit of the fee.

"Nadi-san, I have another matter to ask..."

Since I intend to buy or rent a house, I ask for the market price. In the end, I didn't ask for the intermediation though, and it's not because I can't afford it.
Nadi-san says, "There are a lot of people who dislike living in neighborhood with demi-human, of course this applies in the inner wall, but even in the west district, I don't think anyone would sell you a house. You could find it in the east street if you look for it, but since the public order is bad, if a prosperous person like Satou-san comes to live in, then thieves would attack you on the next day without a doubt.", so I was informed.





"Please sign this transaction document.  The expense for appraising the spear has been deducted from the paid amount. The spear's safety has been verified so you can bring it to the town, but please take care as not to give demi-human the weapon."

I sign the document presented by the official, and receive the spear back. I wrap the spear with cloth I brought.

The price of the magic cores is 17 silver coins. The appraisal fee is 2 silver coins, I wonder if that's a proper amount? Honestly, I think you can live just being an appraiser.
Just by going to the labyrinth with 4 of us in a day, we earned 6 Arisa... Wait, that unit is funny. It wouldn't be able to afford skill holder or knowledgeable slaves but if it's for labor slaves then it's plentiful.
If I distribute it for 4 then with our current living expense, it's enough for half a month...

"Eh~ Labyrinth is quite profitable~."
"You're risking your life though."

Arisa who was quiet inside the temporary military post began to cheerfully talk as soon as we got out. Her eyes is literally shining.

"Hey, Master, can you listen to me? Do you want to settle down in this town?"
"No, I don't have such intention."

Since we'll be obstructing people on the entrance, we're talking while continue walking.

"But, but, weren't you going to buy a house just a while ago?"
"I don't want to keep Liza and the girls stay in the barn so I was thinking of buying one but it seems to be impossible~"

Liza was going to say something but lost the moment to Arisa's vigor.

"The lover-san earlier is your local wife?"
"Don't say that unpleasant words Though I do want to get closer, she's not my lover. We've met only 3 days ago you know?"
<TLN:He's talking about local wife part>.

"Then~ I want to go to labyrinth city!"

Arisa declares while raising her hands and posturing with her entire body that it almost feel like she's letting out SFX.
Labyrinth again.

"Labyrinth city that mean there's a labyrinth there isn't it?  Don't you feel repulsed to it?"
"Uuun, certainly unpleasant memories feel like they're going to resurface but more importantly! I want to raise my level!"

This isn't a game.
No, precisely because this is not a game that she'd want to level up.

"What do you want to do after you level up?"
"It's going to be demon lord season soon, so I want to level up in order to survive! While I'm at it, I want to raise magic skill that could be used to solve the Geass too."

Demon lord season, they're not cabbages and eggplants you know...
Since it was such a ridiculous phrase, I carelessly pay no attention to it.





Previous Chapter

Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku 4-2

4-2. Little Girls Shopping

 

"Okay~ Here we go~. Everyone, follow me~."

In accordance with Arisa's command, Pochi and Tama follow along. Arisa talks as if she's not a slave but a master. I can't possibly do it, but I'm not thinking of doing it either.
Even if master allow it, as a slave I shouldn't intervene...

"First of all, it's underwear! So what kind of underwear you girls are wearing?"

While saying so, Arisa roll up Pochi's mantle and skirt to confirm. Even if she's from different race and a girl, I think she should be more discreet, but I wonder if it's fine since she's still a kid?

"You're lying~ You're not wearing one! Don't tell me, you too Liza-san?"
"Yes, I'm not wearing an underwear."

Arisa says, "I can't believe this~", exaggeratedly with both her hands inter-lapping on her open mouth. It's some kind of expression, but since we are from different races, we don't really understand it.

"We will buy underwears for everyone~ Now, let's go!"
"Oou~."
"Oou~, nano desu~."

Seemingly forgetting something, Arisa lead Tama and Pochi by hands while walking together. Since the 3 of them are children, they could become preys for pickpocket or crime, so I follow along closely.

"Still, this country's underwear is knicker too. I guess I have to make it myself If I want cute shorts or bra~"

She seems to be dissatisfied with the selections of the shop. I don't understand the lingo, but maybe it's a type of underwear?

"It's better than having no panties I guess, Liza-san, I'm sorry for a bit."

After saying so, Arisa hugs my waist. Apparently she's measuring the size.

"Uncle, please give me 9 of this size, and 3 for this and that. How much is it?"

She confidently tries to bargain the 10 big copper coins price the shokeeper named, and she drives it down to 6 big copper coins. Furthermore she also gets 5 decoration strings as bonus. Does she have negotiation and haggling skill?
No wonder she was entrusted for shopping by master.

The 15 pieces of underwears are put into a bag. Physical labor is my role.





"Kuh~ I'm losing to the sweet smells~."
"Smells good~."
"Nano desu~."

I stop the three people who are unsteadily going toward the stall with sweet smell and we go back to shopping. While she seems reliable, she is still a child after all.

"Wonder what's available for the clothings~? The materials are from linen or cotton huh~ Uwa, there are clothes from knitted grass too! Everyone, what kind of clothes do you like?"

Pochi and Tama are at loss. These girls have never choose their clothes before. I have custom ordered a clothes only once when I was still with my tribe, but beside that I normally got used clothes from other people. She probably comes from a wealthy family.

"I don't mind what kind, as long as it's wearable. Since I'm fighting with spear, a sturdy clothes would be good."

"I see, let's look for a clothes for warrior that looks cute! I'm burning!"
"Burning~"
"Nano desu~"

I think it doesn't need to be cute, but not only Arisa, Poch and Tama look happy too. They're probably swept apart by the atmosphere.

"This, how about this one piece? The chartreuse green color is quite pretty, and this cuff's decoration is cute too~ Furthermore the back is open, so when you brush your hair up, you can seduce a man with one blow~."
"Arisa, I'm happy that you're looking clothes for me, but I'm picking this tunic and pants. It looks easy to fight with and the fabric is thick so it'll last long."

She seems to dislike my choice, Arisa scratch her head which is covered with mantle. Putting us demi-human aside, why is a human like her hide her head with mantle? It's mysterious.

In the end, besides Arisa, everyone bought two sets of tunics and trousers, and a one piece recommended by Arisa.

"Arisa, we're satisfied with just one set of clothes. I don't want to waste master's money..."
"It's not a waste! If we dress too poorly, we're disgracing master! There's no need for flashy clothes, but we do need the the change of clothes!"

Arisa firmly declares. A girl from the same race of master insisting to this far. It surely is necessary then.

We bought from 4 stalls, and as one would expect, 15 pieces of clothes are bulky.
Since it wasn't going to fit on the bag, we bought rucksacks for each person to hold their own shares. Of course I'm carrying the shares of Lulu, who's sleeping in the inn.

We spent 4 silver coins and 2 big copper coins so far. Is it alright for slaves to spend this much money?





"Next, it's shoes~."
"Shoes~?"
"We have shoes no desu."

Tama tilted her head, Pochi pointed at her own sandals-wearing feet.
It's not limited for slaves like us, even normal poor citizens don't wear shoes.

"Don't you think spare shoes is a bit too luxurious?"

We're spending large amount money like it's normal. I'm afraid that it's too extravagance. I don't mind if I'm punished, but when I think that master would be disgusted of me, my heart freezes.

"If you use your body to fight, then sandals is dangerous you know? Boots or at least shoes from thick leather is better."

"Our skins are sturdy, so it will be fine."

Arisa shook her head.

"Biting insect, and among them some have poison, creatures like that exist. If your soles got injured, even if you're a hero, you could still die! Therefore, we should buy shoes."

She is push-fully going to the store, but the shopkeepers refuses.
Arisa tries to force through, but the shopkeeper doesn't seem that he's going to compromise.

"Why can't we!"
"Who want to touch demi-human foot! These guys are just right barefooted. You're obstructing my business, go away!"

Since he's going to thrust away Arisa, I lift her from behind. The shopkeeper's fist hit my stomach, but the power is too weak, it doesn't hurt at all.

After spending time in labyrinth together with master, it seems that I've become strong.

If allowed, I would like to fight in the labyrinth with master again. That frog's grilled meat was delicious ...No, this isn't for the sake of grilled meat at all. I was happy to be helpful in the labyrinth.





"Now then~ I've pulled myself together, next is general goods!"
"Goods~."
"Goods nano desu~."

I wonder if Pochi and Tama understand what general goods are...

"Arisa, what kind of things are we buying? If it's tablewares or cookwares then we have it to some extent."
"Is that so~ then, let's omit things that I have and unlikely to be needed."

Arisa is citing the goods as if singing.

"I wonder what's available~ comb, hand-mirror, cup, flask, sewing needles, threads, cloth scissor, towel, pen and ink, and paper, I guess."

"Arisa, isn't hand mirror too expensive? Beside, what do you want the sewing kit and writing tools for?"

"Writing tools are a request from master. The sewing kit is going to be used by me. Since I was a self-sufficient cosplayer back then, even without skills, I could use sewing kit~ I could even make cute underwear and period-related clothing~."

We've finished gathering general goods from various shops, but we didn't buy hand-mirror in the end. Hand-mirror was exactly 3 silver coins. Even after Arisa tried to haggle it, it's still over our budget.

She readily gives up on buying the scissor and needle, but she only gives up on the hand mirror after terribly hesitating about it.





"Alright, mission complete~ Next is the long-awaited snacks~"
"Snacks~ Meat~."
"Meat~ Nano desu~."
"Even though we've just had breakfast in the morning, we're having another meal?"

I thought meals are only for morning and evening, is it different for her?
Certainly we had many meals in the labyrinth, but that was special occasions to recover our strength that had been sapped by continuous fights.

"Sweets are needed for cultural life!"

Master has allowed it, let's not oppose it too much.
Even while we're choosing foods from the stalls, she didn't forget to pick fruits for Lulu. Since Lulu seems to be her big sister, she's a good little sister who thinks of her sibling.

"Everyone, what do you want to eat?"
"Meat~!"
"Meat!"
"Meat is nice."

Arisa becomes to look a bit disappointed.
I think there is nothing more delicious than meat, is it different for human race?

"What kind of meat?"
"The one with skewer~"
"Meat stick on bones nano desu~"
"I'd like roasted bird's leg meat."

After listening to our opinions, Arisa declares.

"Alright, since the budget is aplenty, let's go in turn~."

After that, it's the time of bliss. With moderate salt and oil, brimming with good smells, the grilled mountain mutton meats, I don't understand which kind is it, but it's meat attached to bone having chewing texture out of this world, it taste a bit like grilled chicken meat. Meat is wonderful after all.

Lastly, I tried eating the sweet paste recommended by Arisa, but it's inferior to meat. Human race sense of taste is different after all?

Even before I became a slave, I could only eat meat during a festival and it was fish meat. When I think about it, I'm lucky to be master's slave.




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